Improvement in gates



W. WORTH.

Gate.

No. 39,520. Patented Aug-11,1863.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER WORTH, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN GATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,520, dated August 11, I863.

of Michigan, have invented a new andImproved Farm-Gate; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a side elevation and a partial section of my improved gate in two positions with respect to the ground. Fig. 2 is a top View of the same.

Similar letters of reference in the two figures indicate corresponding parts.

My invention does not consist, broadly, in a gate which slides up and down, and at the same time is capable of swinging open or closing on ordinary hinges; nor does it consist, broadly, in a gate which is held at difl'er ent elevations with respect to the ground while it swings on its hinges; but the nature of my invention consists in adapting such gates and the ordinary hinge-post for use together, so that any gate already in use may be converted, at small cost, into a combined slide and-swing gate. To this end, then, I form a right-angle notch, a, in the forward inner corner of the post A,'such notch extending down from the top of the post to near the base or foot thereof, and terminating in a planeshoulder, b, as represented. I next proceed to make a sliding bar, B, of a size corresponding with the piece removed from the post A in forming the notch a. On the rear side of this bar I iasten a toothed rack or ratchet-plate, c, of appropriate length. To the inner forward corner of the bar B, I hinge the gate D by means of the hinges d d, as shown.

In order to connect the bar and gate to the post A and retain the bar in the notch a without interfering with the swinging motion or preventing a vertical adjustment of the gate, I pass metal loops f f around the bar, and bolt these loops to the sides of the post A, as represented; and in order to hold the gate at different elevations from the ground, as occasion may demand, in order to have it swing over snow-drifts, &c., I provide, in connection with the ratchet plate c, a springstop, 9, the same being of angular form, and fastened by one end to the back of the post A, while its other end is passed through the post and made to engage with the teeth of the rack-plate, as represented.

1 With the construction shown, a latch-post, E, with vertical stop-cleat e, is used, and in connection with such cleat a beveled latchstrip, h, the stop and strip forming a groove between,in which a spring-latch, j, is retained.

My plan of hanging gates so that they may both swing in and out and slide up and down is an improvement over the various modes contrived to the same end, first, because it is very simple and costs but very little to apply it 5 second, because it gives great firmness, and obviates the necessity of reducing the distance between the hinge and latchposts of common hung gates; third, because the hinge-bar has a bearing at two sides along its whole length, and thus can be moved more freely up and down, there being no chance to cant and bind in any one particular point during the lifting of the gate; fourth, because the whole structure is brought compactly together, and admits of the catch bein g applied at the rear of the postthe point where the lifting force is generally or more particularly appliedthus placing the catch convenient to the operator.

The necessity for operating the catch. in lifting the gate may be obviated by having ratchet-teeth on the plate 0. between the parts (post and bar) might be lessened by interposing small frictionrollers, as at k, Fig. 2.

The necessity for a gate operating as herein described and represented has long been experienced in my section of country, on account of the heavy drifts of snow preventing the swinging open of gates that are hung at a fixed height.

The drawings by red lines indicate one height to which my gate can be elevated above the height at which is hung to swing generally or commonly when no obstructions are in its path; but it is obvious that any degree of elevation or depression with respect to the ground may be obtained by the ratchet and pawl like devices shown.

I claim- The arrangement of the notched post A, slide rack-bar B, hinged gate D, loops f, and stop 9, substantially as and for the purpose described.

WALTER WORTH.

Witnesses R. T. CAMPBELL, D. O. LAWRENCE.

Any friction 

